Deadpool VS Deathstroke

VO: Adrian Sousa
WRITTEN BY: Michael Wynands
Written by Michael Wynands
They might share a lot in common, including a last name… but who’s the greatest Wilson of them all? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be going blow for blow with Deadpool and Deathstroke to see who comes up on top. We’re evaluating a wide-range of categories to determine who’s the superior sword-wielding superhuman - not just who would win in a fight.
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They might share a lot in common, including a last name… but who’s the greatest Wilson of them all? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be going blow for blow with Deadpool and Deathstroke to see who comes up on top. We’re evaluating a wide-range of categories to determine who’s the superior sword-wielding superhuman - not just who would win in a fight.

Round 1: Powers and Abilities

Even before gaining his abilities, Slade Wilson was a force to be reckoned with. As a result of his military training, as well as his own studies, Slade is a formidable combatant in every sense. He is a skilled martial artist, capable of besting all but the world’s greatest fighters in hand to hand combat. He’s also a formidable swordsman and marksman. But after being subjected to an experimental procedure, he was gifted with a wide variety of superhuman abilities that any soldier would want. He’s got reflexes far superior to any mere mortal, and the speed, strength, agility, stamina, and senses to match. To top it all off, he’s got enhanced immunity, durability and regenerative abilities.

We’ll take a closer look at the reasons why shortly, but Deadpool actually has almost all of the same abilities AND powers as Deathstroke. In addition to being handy with a sword and all manner of firepower, he’s also a skilled hand to hand combatant, albeit, perhaps a less consistent one than Deathstroke. Like his pal who wants nothing to do with him, Wolverine, Deadpool has a handy healing factor - which gets a lot of mileage given his reckless ways. He’s been repeatedly decapitated, dismembered and subjected to all manner of bodily harm, and he just keeps on going.

We’re starting off with a category in which our two characters are almost neck and neck, but in the end, with the possible exception of strength, it would seem that Deadpool has acquired significantly higher upgrades across the board in terms of superhuman abilities. Most importantly, Deadpool’s healing factor is off the charts, and so we’ve got to give him round one.

WINNER: Deadpool 1 / Deathstroke 0

Round 2: Origin

As we’ve previously mentioned, Slade Wilson’s background is in the military. Having joined at the tender age of 16, he quickly distinguished himself with his willpower and skills. Depending on the continuity, he was either selected for a special program or submitted to it after being gravely wounded - but either way, he became a metahuman super soldier. Deathstroke the Terminator was born. He eventually turned his attention to the world of crime, becoming a mercenary and assassin for hire. Though lucrative, it ultimately cost him his marriage and an eye after it put his family in danger.

For the film, Deadpool’s origin was streamlined - he’s a mercenary cancer patient who underwent experimentation to cure himself. But in the comics, no one, including Deadpool himself, seems to be sure of his background. He gained his mutant abilities courtesy of Weapon X, but everything before that seems to be in a constant state of flux. And honestly, his in-story origin is much less interesting than the history of his creation. Invented by divisive comic book artist Rob Liefeld, he was labeled a blatant Deathstroke rip-off from day one. After seeing the design, writer Fabian Nicieza just went with it, naming Deadpool Wade Wilson in an overt nod to his aesthetic inspiration - Slade Wilson.

Though writers have since made Deadpool into a truly unique character, his lack of consistent in-book origin and admittedly hilarious creation story makes it impossible to NOT give this round to Deathstroke. Deathstroke’s origin might not be one for the ages, but at least it’s his own.

WINNER: Deadpool 1/ Deathstroke 1

Round 3: Style

Quite frankly, in the world of comics, grim and gritty has been done to death. For decades, the mentality seemed to be that the less often characters smiled, the cooler and more appealing they were supposed to be. The result is a whole slew of forgettable B, C, and D-list characters who were given a permanent scowl in place of a personality. But here’s the thing… there are a handful of characters from across the decades who were written well enough to be able to pull it off… and Slade is one of them. Deathstroke is a bonafide badass, a mercenary who inspires equal parts fear and respect. He’s serious but has depth. Awe-inspiring in his severity, Deathstroke is respected, and with good reason.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is our beloved Merc with a Mouth, a comic book character who, despite humble, uninspired origins, has made a name for himself by undermining pretty much every comic book trope. He’s an undeniable badass when it comes time to throw down, but he does it with a sense of self-deprecation and humor that you really can’t help but love. Perhaps most notable is his love of breaking the fourth wall by directly addressing the reader or acknowledging the fact that he’s a comic book character.

Up against 99% of characters, Deathstroke would be taking home the style title without question - the guy eats cool points for breakfast and bleeds badassery, but Deadpool is one of a kind, and in the world of comics, that means a whole lot. Deadpool wins another round!

WINNER: Deadpool 2 / Deathstroke 1

Round 4: Intellect

In the long list of powers and enhancements acquired by Deathstroke when he underwent his transformation, his intellectual improvements are perhaps the most notable. You know that old commonly cited fact that humans only use 10% of their total brain power at any given time? Well, Slade is capable of using up to 90% of it, making him a bonafide genius. To be clear, Slade was already smarter are more cunning than your average soldier, but with a little scientific help, he unlocked his full potential, turning himself into a tactical mastermind in the process.

How does one begin to describe Wade Wilson’s intellectual capacity? He’s certainly original and quick-witted when it comes to cracking wise or insulting his enemies. But it’s been widely acknowledged that he suffers severe brain damage, and, healing factor be damned, the beatings his brain has taken since donning the red suit couldn’t have helped. Wade is too inconsistent to categorize. One moment, he’s surprisingly sharp, the next, he can’t remember what he did last week. Mind you, his unpredictable nature and alternatively wired brain certainly gives him an edge, his enemies NEVER know what he’s going to do next.

Though you’d never call Wade dumb, you’d also be remiss to call him particularly smart in any conventional sense of the word. And so in this case, Deathstroke the Mathlete takes the point.

WINNER: Deadpool 2 / Deathstroke 2

Round 5: Live Action Adaptations

Slade certainly made for an impressive and capable adversary when he came after Robin and company as a central villain in the animated Teen Titans series. Though that set the bar pretty high, actor Manu Bennett and the production team behind the CW’s Arrow tv series proved that a live-action Deathstroke could equally deliver the goods. Bennett’s take on Slade Wilson is everything we could’ve asked for on a television budget - he had the mask, the combat skills, the physical strength, determination, and intelligence to push Oliver Queen to his limits. On top of that, we got a glimpse of Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke in a “Justice League” post-credit scene, so the future looks bright for the character on the big screen.

After the much-criticized, mutilated version of Wade Wilson we were given in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and a long stint in development hell, Fox finally made good on their promise of a Deadpool solo outing in 2016. It was a tall order, but Deadpool not only made up for mistakes of the past but also proved that there was room in the world of comic book movies for an R-rated flick. He killed it at the box office, and going against the grain of big studio mentality, did it while staying close to the source material. The fans have spoken, and they’ve done so with unmitigated glee - Ryan Reynolds IS Deadpool.

Unfortunately, there’s just no way for the Arrowverse version of Deathstroke to compete with Ryan Reynolds’ big screen take on the Merc with a Mouth. Joe Manganiello’s version we saw briefly at the tail of “Justice League” could certainly turn out to be incredible, but for now, Deadpool takes it.

WINNER: Deadpool 3 / Deathstroke 2

It would seem that Marvel’s wacky antihero gets to walk away with the title, beating out the DC figure who initially inspired his look and name.